Category Archives: Whale Sightings

Bluefin Tuna show up in the Cape Cod waters early June and feed here all summer long .The sharp drop-off along the Southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank creates upwellings which attract baitfish such as sandeels, mackerel, and herring which attract Bluefin Tuna. A quick 45 minute boat ride puts us on the fishing grounds. Dates are filling up for the 2018 fishing season so book soon . www.FishHighHook.com

The High Hook fishing camp 2018 only has two spots left for this years sessions. For those interested, please sign up soon so you don’t miss out. We will be adding another morning session in June as well. Three days of fishing Duxbury, Plymouth, and Kingston bays for Striped Bass, Flounder, Bluefish. For more information on what the sessions offer, please send an email to [email protected]

The Bluefin Tuna fishing the last couple weeks has been red hot with a lot of fish in the 60-70 inch range. Some big ones have been mixed in as well. Seems like one out of every 5 or so is a keeper. Great fish for charters as we have been getting multiple hook ups each day. we have landed over 25 in the last two weeks. Get out while the fishing is good.
A few pictures from the last couple weeks.

Yesterday we landed our first Bluefin Tuna of the season measuring 81in and just over 300lbs. It’s nice to see the fish around Stellwagon again. Fish sightings from Peaked Hill Bar to out East of the Bank. Striped Bass trips in the bay all weekend but will be back at it next week.

Giant Bluefin Tuna landed on High Hook out of Duxbury with Capt. Willie

Had a good day on the water yesterday with the Solvik crew. Haddock were a little spotty at first but we were able to get on some schools and get our limit out of it (75 keepers) in about three and a half hours. Great weather and the kids had a blast.

With warmer weather here, Trevor Day, author of Whale Watcher: A Global Guide to Watching Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises in the Wild (Firefly Books, $19.95), tells Ron Schoolmeester for USA TODAY where to spot the behemoths. Not to worry, though, if your summer plans are complete: There’s good whale-watching somewhere in the world during most any season.
The Azores

Portugal

Visitors to this Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,000 miles from Lisbon, view whales and dolphins from lookout towers called vigias. Small whale-watching vessels also operate tours. “From May to October, see sperm whales, the largest of all toothed whales at up to 59 feet long and weighing up to 55 tons,” Day says. Look, too, for several species of beaked whale rarely seen elsewhere. destinazores.com/whalewatching.php

Dominica

The deep waters off the west coast of this Caribbean island attract the blunt-headed sperm whales year-round. “Winter, though, is the best time to see these sperm whales, along with humpback whales that come to Dominica’s bays to breed and reward visitors with acrobatic displays,” Day says. dominica.dm/site/whalewatching.cfm

Hermanus

South Africa

“Hermanus offers some of the best land-based whale watching in the world,” Day says. “Several hundred Southern right whales migrate past its shores between July and November.” Playful and sometimes curious, the 50-foot adults court and mate while pregnant mothers calve. www.hermanus.co.za

Glacier Bay

Alaska

Glacier Bay is where whale experts first studied humpback whales “bubble-netting” — blowing bubbles to herd fish into a tight ball before swallowing them. “If visitors are really lucky, they can see up to a dozen whales engaged in this remarkable hunting technique,” Day says. Groups of orcas (killer whales) patrol the entrance to the bay, while porpoises and dolphins are commonly seen inside the bay. Best time to visit: June to early September. whale-watching-alaska.com

Hervey Bay

Queensland, Australia

Between July and November (winter and early spring Down Under), humpback whales hurl themselves clear of the water in exuberant displays in the quiet, protected waters of Hervey Bay. “Humpbacks grow to more than 50 feet long and can weigh nearly 50 tons. Yet these gentle creatures are curious, and some will approach boats,” Day says. herveybaywhales.com

Monterey Bay

California

Visitors can see whales, dolphins and porpoises in the vicinity of Monterey Bay year-round. “In mid-December to April, see migrating gray whales,” Day says. “In summer and fall, humpback whales and the world’s largest whale, the blue whale, migrate here to feed.”

Stellwagen Bank

Massachusetts

Southern New England hosts more than 30 companies offering whale-watching tours from more than 15 seaside communities. “A focus is Stellwagen Bank, a submerged sandbank that runs from the tip of Cape Cod to Boston’s north shore at Cape Ann,” Day says. “April to May is the best time to see the highly endangered Northern right whale (only a few hundred survive). Between April and October, spectacular humpback whales are a common sight.”

Península Valdés

Patagonia, Argentina

Península Valdés is a hot spot for Southern right whales and orcas. “Southern right whales arrive in July and stay to November, but the best time to see them is September to October,” Day says. “A remarkable spectacle is watching them ‘sail’ on the wind, with their flukes raised in the air to catch the breeze. Orcas are present year-round, but from mid-February to mid-April, they hunt sea-lion pups, and on selected beaches will ride onto the shore to snatch pups.”

Vancouver and Vancouver Island

British Columbia, Canada

More than 400 orcas swim in the waters around Vancouver. “Between May and September, visitors can see the whales by ferry, cruise ship, whale-watch boat and even from the land,” Day says. In summer, about 40-50 gray whales also feed in the waters off Vancouver Island. In March and April, many more pass through on their northward migration. 800-435-5622; hellobc.com or britishcolumbia.com/WhaleWatch

Sea of Cortez

Baja California, Mexico

“The Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) just south of Baja, or ‘lower,’ California, is arguably the best place to see the world’s largest whales, blue whales,” Day says. “These 75-foot giants, weighing more than 100 tons, are regularly seen between January to April along with several other baleen (filter-feeding) whales, such as the humpback and fin.” In the same season, gray whales, with their barnacled and scarred bodies, court and calf in the lagoons. bajaexpo.com/whales.htm

On Friday we headed out early in the morning and got to the bank by 630am. Around 30 minutes later, without marking or seeing a single fish, our line went off. Luke and Ryan Stevens jumped on the reel and battled the fish first. After about 40 minutes we were able to get a good gauge on how big the fish was as it showed itself at the surface. The fish then dove and it was a matter of just lifting the tuna from 150 feet down. We harpooned the fish around 8:40am and got the fish to the boat 10 minutes later..